Windows 8 strikes the target expectation

Four million Windows 8 upgrades since Friday, says Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

 

Microsoft Corp Chief Executive Steve Ballmer said on Tuesday the company has sold 4 million upgrades to Windows 8, signalling a strong start for its new operating system which launched on Friday.

Ballmer, speaking at a meeting for software developers at Microsoft's headquarters near Seattle, said hundreds of millions of Windows systems would be sold over the next year, and the company was seeing strong interest from business users.

Ballmer already said on Monday that Windows 8 was outselling the previous version, Windows 7, at the same stage after launch three years ago.

Windows 8 strikes the target expectation

Windows 8 is available in two versions at retail - Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. And for business customers, Windows 8 Enterprise offers new features like Windows To Go, DirectAccess, and BranchCache, as well as enhanced end-to-end security with features including BitLocker and AppLocker. Also, the company launched Windows RT for ARM based tablets, which will be available pre-installed on new devices.

Windows 8 comes with a new start screen that shows live colorful tiles that update in real time. Windows 8 is natively cloud-connected so you can access your data on any other Windows 8 PC. Microsoft says Windows 8 to be seamlessly synced across multiple devices. Windows 8 also comes with a new browser - Internet Explorer 10.

Microsoft plans to continue providing technical support for Windows 7 until January 14, 2020.

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Ultrabook’s newest competitor: MacBook Pro with retina display

Last night at Apple’s Worldwide Developer conference, the world’s number one tech company showcased a new range of MacBook Pros and the latest MacBook Air. Without a doubt, the new MacBook Pro is already the talk of the town.

The first big change is in terms of size as the MacBook Pro got thinner and sexier. It is now only 0.71 inches thick. Almost everyone who showcased those hybrid ultrabooks cum tablets at Computex 2012 in Taiwan must be feeling a little silly. The idea was always that laptops would get thinner, and faster and Apple has shown everyone how to do this with the new MacBook Pro.

The other big change for MacBook Pro is the screen resolution. Apple added ‘Retina display’ to its new MacBook Pro series thus forever transforming how awesome computer screens will be for users. Retina Display means that the new MacBook pro will have a screen resolution of 2880 x 1800 pixels.

As the Verge points out in this useful comparison tablet that as a far as screen resolution is concerned Apple is miles ahead with the new MacBook Pro. The next closest competitor is Asus’ Zenbook Prime with a resolution of 1920 X 1080. The New MacBook pro with Retina Display is only available in the 15.4 inch model. The regular MacBook Pro will continue to be available in 13.3 inch and 15.4 inch models while the 17-inch model has been officially scrapped.

The new Macbook Air Pro is pictured during the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2012 in San Francisco. Reuters

But all these features come at a high price. The MacBook Pro with “Retina display,” has a price tag of $2,199 or $2,799, depending on the configuration. The regular MacBook Pro models are now cheaper with a price range of $1,199 to $2,199.

The other reason why Ultrabook makers would be worried is that Apple slashed the cost of the MacBook Air. The 11.6 inch MacBook Air will now cost $1,099 from $1,199. It also has a faster 1.7GHz Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor (one that a lot of new Ultrabooks are also using), and a 128GB solid-state drive. The 13.3 inch Air also saw the price slashed by $100 to $1499, plus the addition of a new 1.8GHz Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor, and 256GB solid-state drive.

An Ultrabook uses less energy and boots up faster because it uses flash storage, but now the MacBook Pro also uses flash memory for storage. It has 256 GB or 512 GB flash storage with an option to upgrade to 768 GB. The regular Pro’s come standard with a 500 GB or 750 GB hard drive, though options with a larger hard drive or flash memory are also available.

In terms of pricing too, most Ultrabooks are still in relatively high-end therefore the whole only Apple is expensive argument doesn’t really stand. For instance HP’s Envy 14t-3000 Spectre ultrabook with Ivy Bridge costs nearly $1,399. So for higher specs, with the Ivy Bridge processor the cost is still starting at $1000.

 Apple’s cheaper-but-better MacBook Air isn’t good news for ultrabooks. Apple just cut the price and upped the processor specs on the MacBook Air.

The Air remains the lightest of them all, at 2.38 pounds for the smaller model and 2.96 pounds for the larger one. The Pro with the same-sized display as the larger Air is about 50 percent heavier, at 4.5 pounds. The Pro with Retina Display is 4.46 pounds, compared with 5.6 pounds for a comparably sized Pro.

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Lenovo launches IdeaPad U310, IdeaPad U410 ultrabooks in India

Lenovo has launched the IdeaPad U310 and IdeaPad U410 ultrabooks in India. These new ultrabooks are powered by 3rd generation Intel Core processors.

Lenovo ultrabooks are touted to combine the features of traditional laptops—powerful processing performance, large storage capacity and rich audio—with the sleek aesthetics and desirable qualities of tablets, such as fast boot up, instant resume and all day battery life.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U310 ultrabook features a 13.3-inch HD display. It offers up to 4GBDD3 memory, up to 500GB storage and 32GB SSD cache. It starts from Rs 49,990 onwards.

The Lenovo IdeaPad U410 ultrabook is sleek with a thickness of 18 mm, and has a metal exterior. It also has a 13.3-inch display, but it offers up to 8GB DDR3 memory, up to 1TB HDD storage and 32GB SSD1 cache. It starts from Rs 52,990 onwards.

Both U310 and U410 are claimed to have an extended battery life of up to 9hrs.

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Apple Kicks Google Maps Off iOS

As expected, Apple has announced its own mapping solution for iOS 6,featuring real-time traffic conditions, turn-by-turn navigation, Yelp integration, vector graphics, and 3D flyovers. The new Maps app, due out this fall with iOS 6, means the end of the Google Maps-powered app that iOS devices have used since 2007.

For iOS users, this news comes not a moment too soon--many of the features Apple announced Monday have been available on Google Maps for Android for years. Apple's break with Google means the iPhone maker can finally offer significant improvements to Maps on iOS instead of relying on a reluctant partner/competitor to bring new maps features to Apple devices.

If you have an iOS device, chances are the new Maps app will be arriving on your handset, since nearly every popular iOS device in use today (with the exception of the original iPad) is getting iOS 6. Apple introduced the new Maps app during the keynote address at the company's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco.

Here's how the new Apple-designed Maps app matches up to the old Google-powered one.

The New Stuff

There are several new additions to the iOS Maps app, including a visual redesign that uses vector-based graphics instead of bitmap images. Vector graphics are drawn by the device based on a set of instructions, instead of loaded from a remote server. This change means that it will be easier for users to pan across a map quickly, without having to wait for new map images to load every few seconds. Google introduced vector graphics for Google Maps for Android in 2010.

Apple has also integrated real-time traffic information and turn-by-turn navigation into its new Maps app. There are numerous third-party apps on iOS that offer turn-by-turn navigation, but having a baked-in version is slowly becoming the standard. Nokia has offered this option with its smartphones for some time, and Google added the capability for Android handsets in 2009.

The new Maps app will also include local information for more than 100 million businesses worldwide at launch, as well as integrated Yelp reviews. Apple first integrated Yelp information into the iPhone with the introduction of Siri on the iPhone 4S.

Similar to the recently announced Google Maps overhaul, Apple's maps in iOS will be getting photo-realistic 3D flyovers for major urban areas across the world. However, Google's 3D flyovers are actual images, while Apple appears to be using detailed and lifelike computer-generated models.

The Not-So-New Stuff

As mentioned earlier, Apple will be offering local information for more than 100 million businesses worldwide. Maps for iOS already offers local information, but we'll have to wait for the final product to see if the new Maps app matches up to the current Google-powered local listings.

Apple is also making a big deal about Siri integration with the new Maps app. The thing is, Siri wasalready integrated with Maps--allowing users to say things such as "show me the nearest coffee shop," and see their results on a map. In iOS 6, however, when users ask Siri for directions to a coffee shop the Maps app will also be able to supply turn-by-turn navigation, instead of just directions. Google added voice command navigation in Google Maps for Android in 2010.

The End of the Road

Apple didn't come right out and say this, but it's a good bet that Google's Street View feature will be gone in iOS 6. Maps will also be losing walking and transit directions, but Apple said during the WWDC keynote that it plans to incorporate third-party solutions into the Maps app for metro transit information.

Source : pcworld

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Russian hacker hacks LinkedIn, steals 6.5m password

LinkedIn admitted Wednesday that a hacker managed to steal millions of users' passwords and post them to the Web, leading the Mountain View professional-networking service to lock up accounts with stolen passwords.

A user uploaded almost 6.5 million passwords to a Russian Web forum, claiming that they were from LinkedIn. While the list that was uploaded to the forum did not include usernames, that does not necessarily mean whomever managed to extract the passwords did not also obtain the corresponding email addresses that match those accounts.

After investigating for most of the day Wednesday, LinkedIn Director Vicente Silveira said in a blog post confirmed "that some of the passwords that were compromised

correspond to LinkedIn accounts."

Customers whose passwords were verified as stolen will immediately have their passwords invalidated, Silveira wrote, and receive an email with instructions on how to reset it.

"There will not be any links in these emails. For security reasons, you should never change your password on any website by following a link in an email," Silveira warned.

Those account holders will also receive a second email from the company's customer service team with further explanation and details, Silveira wrote.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused our members. We take the security of our members very seriously," he concluded.

The uploaded passwords are encrypted, and the hacker who uploaded them was reportedly seeking assistance in unlocking them. However, the British web security consultant who originally detailed the posted passwords said an investigation showed the passwords to be legitimate, and suggested that LinkedIn customers change their passwords immediately.

The consultant, Graham Cluley of web security company Sophos, wrote in his original blog post that "although the data which has been released so far does not include associated email addresses, it is reasonable to assume that such information may be in the hands of the criminals."

Some users also reported on Twitter that they had found their encrypted, or "hashed," passwords on the list.

Marcus Carey, a security researcher at Boston-based Rapid7, told Reuters he was "highly confident" that hackers had wormed their way inside LinkedIn's network for several days, based on his analysis of the data posted on the forums.

"While LinkedIn is investigating the breach, the attackers may still have access to the system," Carey warned. "If the attackers are still entrenched in the network, then users who have already changed their passwords may have to do so a second time."

LinkedIn claimed more than 161 million users at the end of its most recent quarter, on March 31, and said at the time that two new members were signing up every second.

The company's stock fell Wednesday after reports of the passwords' theft, even as Wall Street enjoyed strong gains. At 10:30 a.m. Pacific time, LinkedIn shares were trading for $92.82, a loss of $0.18, or 0.2 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index was up 2.1 percent.

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Intel plans for virtual tv

 Intel is counting on facial-recognition technology for targeted ads and a team of veteran entertainment dealmakers to win over reluctant media partners for its new virtual television service.

But so far it's proving a challenge to get the service off the ground, thanks to an unwillingness on the part of major media content providers to let Intel unbundle and license specific networks and shows at a discount to what cable and satellite partners pay.

Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, has kept its strategy to launch a slimmed down cable TV service under wraps as the tech giant risks getting into a completely new line of business.

According to five sources who have been negotiating with Intel for months, the company is emphasizing a set-top box employing Intel technology that can distinguish who is watching, potentially allowing Intel to target advertising.

The set-top box pitched by Intel doesn't identify specific people, but it could provide general data about viewers' gender or whether they're adults or children to help target advertising, two sources said.

Intel's plans put it in the middle of Silicon Valley's battle for the living room. Heavyweights such as Apple, Amazon and Google believe the $100 billion U.S. cable television ecosystem - dominated by major distributors such as Comcast and DirecTV Group and program makers like Walt Disney Co and Time Warner Inc. - is ripe for disruption for reasons ranging from shifting viewer habits to ever-increasing programming costs.

While none of these companies have so far been able to make major inroads, Intel thinks it can build a better set-top box and over-the-top subscription service to deliver TV content to consumers, even though the initiative catapults it into virgin market territory. A successful TV service showcasing Intel technology could be a big step toward making its chips prevalent in more living room devices.

"If they can create a virtual network and it incorporates proprietary Intel technology, they could certainly bring something different to the subscription TV model." said JMP analyst Alex Gauna.

Intel's offering aims to exploit one of the TV industry's major issues: the reliability, or lack thereof, of Nielsen ratings data on audiences. Nielsen has long been the dominant provider of TV ratings, but the accuracy of its data has come under attack by some network programmers, who argue that its polling system of 50,000 homes is antiquated for the digital age.

For its part, Intel claims that the new interactive features in its set-top box would add greater value to TV advertising and help offset reduced revenue from licensing fees for network owners.

"They've told us the technology is going to be so much more interactive with ads that you can make more money. But it's just a little unproven," said one executive who has been involved in the talks.

An Intel representative declined to comment for this story.

Chip features making it easier for Hollywood studios to protect content streamed to computers, as well as tools for detecting faces and analyzing audiences, are examples of current proprietary technology that Intel would like to see widely adopted.

BEYOND PCs

While Intel's processors power 80 percent of the world's PCs, its chips have not achieved a significant presence in smartphones, tablets and other interconnected devices. Intel executives say they are eager to make sure its semiconductors play major roles in new markets with big growth potential.

According to a company source, ensuring that its chips become prevalent in home entertainment devices would be the driving reason behind any Internet TV service it launches.

Comcast, for instance, recently announced the gradual rollout of an Intel-based set-top box that customers can control with their smarpthones. Called "X1," the platform will rely on data centers packed with high-end servers -- which typically also use Intel chips.

Intel last year wound down a push to make chips specifically for "smart" TVs after Google TV, which it had backed, failed to make a major splash with consumers.

At the same time, it formed the Intel Media business group with a mandate of promoting digital content on Intel-based platforms.




source : Reuters

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Top smartphones pros & cons

The high-end smartphone market in India is witnessing stiff competition.
 Several biggies, including Apple and Samsung, are slugging it out to win 
the hearts and minds of consumers.

The latest salvo in the fight was fired by Samsung last week as it brought
 its new flagship phone — Galaxy S III — to India days after it was launched 
in Europe and some other markets.

Galaxy S III comes close on heels of high-profile launches by Sony and HTC,
 which have been selling Xperia S and One X respectively for several weeks now.
 Here's how the hottest five smartphones in the country compare to each other
 on specs front.

What are the pluses and minuses in these hottest smartphones.

APPLE iPHONE 4S

Vital specs: Dual-core, 1GHz, 512MB RAM, 3.5-inch LCD screen with 640x960 pixels, 16GB storage, 8MP camera

Special features: Powerful graphics chip, retina display, fantastic camera, iOS has best selection of mobile apps, modern design.

Cons: Locked ecosystem means user has to trust Apple to make the right choice for them, smaller screens, fragile glass due to back cover.

SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII

Vital specs: Dual-core, 1.5 GHz, 1GBRAM, 4.8-inch SAMOLED screen with 1280x720 pixels, 16GB storage, 8MP camera

Special features: Big HD screen, nifty features like Smart Stay and Direct call, fantastic camera and superb hardware.

Cons: Built with glossy plastic that feels cheap, Touchwiz user interface is not aesthetically pleasing

HTC ONE X

Vital specs: Quad-core, 1.5 GHz, 1GB RAM, 4.7-inch Super LCD screen with 1280x720 pixels, 32GB storage, 8MP camera

Special features: Big HD screen, beautiful design, HTC Sense software is elegant and pleasing, good hardware.

Cons: Camera leaves much to be desired

SONY XPERIA S

Vital specs: Dual-core, 1.5 GHz, 1GB RAM, 4.3-inch LCD screen with 1280x720 pixels, 32GB storage, 12MP camera

Special features: Good industrial design, very good camera.

Cons: Runs on older version of Android, modest hardware compared to competitor

NOKIA LUMIA 800

Vital specs: Single-core, 1.4 GHz, 512MB RAM, 3.7-inch AMOLED screen with 480x800 pixels, 16GB storage, 8MP camera

Special features: Beautiful polycarbonate design, Windows 7 is fast, fluid and looks great.

Cons: Lack of apps in Windows Phone Marketplace, mediocre camera, no front camera, old hardware.

Source : TOI

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Facebook to disappear in 5 to 8 years: Analyst

HOUSTON: The world without Facebook sounds unbelievable, but after its sliding stocks a hedge fund manager has predicted that Facebook will "disappear" in five to eight years.

According to Eric Jackson, the founder of Ironfire Capital, said, "In five to eight years they are going to disappear in the way that Yahoo has disappeared."

"Yahoo is still making money. It's still profitable, still has 13,000 employees working for it. But it's 10 per cent of the value that it was at the height of 2000. For all intents and purposes, it's disappeared."

Jackson noted that so far there have been three generations of Internet companies. Yahoo, a Web portal, is a great example as an online pioneer.

Facebook then swept in as the second generation with the wave of social media. The third generation is all about mobile, he said.

While this assertion raised a ruckus online this week, other industry analysts wouldn't be shocked if the prediction comes true.

Facebook's February IPO filing revealed that the company had more than 425 million monthly active mobile users during December 2011, or about half of its worldwide user base, analysts said.

But while that number might be impressive, those users aren't making Facebook any money at this point.

Facebook has moved to address concerns that it isn't doing enough to satisfy mobile users, buying Instagram for $1 billion, and hiring the development team behind the Lightbox Androidphoto app.

Jackson thinks the social network's mobile woes will continue despite those moves.

"Facebook can buy a bunch of mobile companies, but [it is] still a big, fat website, and that's different from a mobile app," he said.

One of the problems for Facebook is that the company has not been able to monetize its burgeoning mobile base.

Company executives even raised the issue in its pre-IPO filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission this spring. And that could really hold the company back and give others a chance to flourish in its place.

"Look at how Google has struggled moving into social, and I think Facebook is going to have the same kind of challenges moving into mobile," said Jackson.

The prediction of Facebook's demise comes just weeks after the social network's troubled IPO.

Although many financial analysts had expected the company's stock to rocket from the initial offering price of $38 a share to $50 or even $90 a share, the stock never popped.

At the market close today, Facebook's stock price was down to $25.87, well below its initial offering.


Source : TOI

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India ahead of US, Japan in PC security: McAfee

India may have low penetration of computers, but it is ahead of countries like US, Japan and Singapore when it comes to basic PC protection, says a report by security software maker McAfee.

It conducted a global study across 24 nations, analysing data from voluntary scans of an average of 27-28 million PCs per month to determine a global estimate of the number of consumers who have basic security software installed.

Finland had the highest number of 90.3% PCs with a basic security software solution in place, followed by Italy (86.2%) and Germany (85.55%).

Basic security protection is defined as working anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall technologies.

India ranked 14th on the list with 82.67%, while China ranked 17th (82%), followed by Japan and US at the 19th spot (80.65%) and Singapore at 22nd position (78.25%). The global average stood at 83%.

According to estimates, India had a total installed base of over 60 million PCs at the end of 2011.

"Its gratifying to see that the majority of consumers have gotten the message that at the very least they need to have basic security protection installed," McAfee Co-President Todd Gebhart said.

"Protecting digital devices against cybercrime from malware not only benefits each of us personally, but also serves to discourage illicit activity and preserve the integrity of the Internet," he added.

Cases of cyber-attacks against banks, technology firms, e-stores and government agencies are on the rise and have cost millions of dollars worth of losses, McAfee said.

However, 17% of the PCs scanned either had no anti-virus installed or the software was installed, but disabled.

Spain (16.3%) topped the list of countries where the PCs scanned did not have a security solution in place, followed by Japan (13.2%) and China (12.9%).

About 10.9% of the PCs scanned in India did not have a security solution, placing India at the 8th spot.

The study suggests often people do not understand that once the trial subscription expires (which came pre-installed with the PC), they are no longer protected.

Some consumers may disable their security protection on purpose, for example to play online games, while some PC users believe they do not need protection if they simply adhere to safe surfing best practices, it added.

"Security software is consumers' first and, in many cases, only defence against cybercrime," the study said.

source : Hindustantimes

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Samsung Galaxy S3 launched in India at Rs 43,180

Korean handset giant Samsung on Thursday said it expects to capture 60 per cent share of the Indian smartphone market this year on the back of a slew of new devices, including its latest Galaxy SIII.

"According to third party data, we have over 46 per cent share in the Indian smartphone market. We are confident of increasing this to 60 per cent this year," Samsung India Head (Mobile and IT) Ranjit Yadav told reporters here. The Indian smartphone market is pegged to grow to about 18 million units in 2012, he added.

In the first four months of this year, the company has announced the launch of 10 new mobile handsets, including its new dual-sim smartphones like Galaxy Y Duos and Galaxy Y Pro Duos, taking the basket to 19 in the price range of between Rs 7,830 and Rs 38,290.

To consolidate its position in India, the company today launched its latest Galaxy SIII handset, priced at Rs 43,180. Unveiled initially in London, the handset will be available for sale in India from tomorrow.

"India, one of the world's largest mobile market, is indeed very important to us as it contributes substantial portion of our global sales. We see India as one of key growth markets 2012 going forward, especially in smartphone segment where we have observed overwhelming growth in last couple of quarters," he said.

The much-awaited Galaxy S-III smartphone, powered by Android operating system 4.0, is touted as a strong competitor to the yet-to be launched iPhone 5 (expected to be launched later this year).

Samsung recently dethroned long-time leader Nokia, snatching the numero uno position from the Finnish company in the first quarter of 2012 with 86.6 million units global shipment, as per research firm Gartner. It also outshone Apple with sales of 38 million units worldwide, the research firm had said.

Samsung Galaxy S-III comes with a 4.8-inch screen, bigger than its highly successful predecessor Galaxy S-II.

According to reports, the new smartphone had recorded the highest pre bookings orders to the tune of nine million after it was unveiled earlier this month in London.

The phone packs a bunch of features like 'Smart stay', in which the device recognises when you are looking at the phone and maintains a bright display for continued viewing pleasure.

The Galaxy S III also introduces 'Pop up play' feature, which allows user to watch HD videos on the phone while sending an email or text simultaneously.

The phone also boasts of an eight-megapixel camera along with a zero-lag shutter speed, which allows users capture moving objects without delay. It also comes with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

Smartphones are expected to constitute about 30 per cent to the company's total mobile and IT division revenues, up from last year's 15 per cent contribution.

source : Economictimes

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Opera Mini 7 Browser Comes to Basic Phones

Your feature phone is about to get a little smarter, and more social.

Opera Software today released its Opera Mini 7 mobile Web browser for basic phones and Blackberry, which makes it quicker and easier to stay connected with your social networks. The browser comes with a new feature called "Smart Page," which is a one-page summary of all the news from your Facebook and Twitter feeds.

In addition to showing your friends' status updates and tweets, Smart Page will offer up suggestions for news sites to follow, and let you add feeds of sites you browse to most often. This feature will ultimately save you the hassle of manually typing Web addresses into your mobile keyboard.

"I've spent hours typing Web addresses on my mobile phone, but now there's a super smart way to get most of your content at a glance," Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software, said in a statement. "With Smart Page, you just open the browser, and the content is right beside your Speed Dial shortcuts in the start screen for you to skim through — super practical, super time-saving and super smart."

The browser also provides access to full websites, even if you don't have a smartphone. Opera promises that Mini 7 is better than the stock browser on your phone, making it easier to navigate the Web.

Opera Mini 7 is available as a free download for Java-compatible (J2ME), Nokia S60, and Blackberry devices at m.opera.com.

Opera's increased focus on social integration comes as the Norwegian browser maker is reportedly in talks to be acquired by Facebook. The social network is apparently looking to buy Opera to expand into the browser space, where it would face competition from Google, Microsoft, Mozilla, Apple, and Yahoo.

Some industry experts are saying Opera is a perfect match for Facebook, but at least one analyst thinks such an acquisition would not be a smart move for the social network. Both Facebook and Opera have declined to comment about the rumored acquisition talks.

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Windows 8 Release Preview on Samsung Tablet and ThinkPad ...

Windows 8 manages to be everything a Microsoft OS has never been: whimsical, fun, friendly, lightweight and fresh. Thanks to the Metro UI that takes its design cues from Windows Phone, Windows for desktops, laptops and tablets as gone all touchy on us. And that's the sticking point for the millions of folks who have non-touch enabled computers. Interacting with Metro on a touch screen is pure joy and conjures up the Microsoft Surface experience, but it can be a bit odd when you're using a mouse or trackpad.




Yes, it is completely possible to use Metro without a touch screen thanks to keyboard shortcuts and hotspots in the corners, but I suspect many of you will use the lower left tile that takes you to the standard desktop mode immediately. With Windows 8 Release Candidate, the follow up to Consumer Preview, the familiar Start Menu is still MIA (third party utilities can replicate it) but Aero is here, even though Microsoft has said they're going to axe it for the final release (they feel it looks dated since window chrome is no longer trendy).




Microsoft thinks that all PCs will eventually have touch screens: from all in ones to laptops to tablets. Windows 8 runs on tablets with Intel and AMD CPUs and Windows 8 RT will run on ARM-based tablets (Android tablets use ARM family CPUs). Microsoft is probably right, and they're betting on it by introducing Metro now. 

For our video review, we test out Windows 8 Release Preview on a Samsung Series 7 Slate and the Lenovo ThinkPad X230 notebook so you can see the difference in interactions with these two form factors. The Samsung Slate runs on an Intel Core i5 ULV CPU and it ships with Windows 7 (it's been a platform standard for Windows 8 developers though). The ThinkPad is Lenovo's new Ivy Bridge Core i5 12.5" notebook. Both have 1366 x 768 displays, but only the Samsung has a touchscreen.

What's new in Win 8 Release Preview? Surprisingly little has changed from the Consumer Preview we covered a few months back. The Microsoft Store is more full featured with a healthy selection of Metro compatible apps, and it now remembers apps you've downloaded/purchased. There's multiple monitor support, lots of new drivers so it's easier to install and get things working right away. Microsoft has added a thumb keyboard in addition to the standard on-screen keyboard.




It's incredibly fast and it boots quickly too. Yes, you can install MS Office, Adobe Photoshop and your favorite games. Those apps will run in desktop mode, unlike Metro apps that run in Metro. Speaking of Metro apps, Microsoft has added a few more for things like sports and travel, and they're magazine-like and gorgeous. IE in Metro now supports Flash, but only for a limited subset of Flash content: YouTube videos work but Flash adds do not. If you run IE from the desktop, you get full IE and full Adobe Flash as well as any other plugins you've installed. It's rather confusing to have 2 versions of Internet Explorer.

Here's our Windows 8 Release Candidate Walkthrough Video:







source:  http://www.mobiletechreview.com 

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